Go Secure With gopost

Imagine if customers didn’t have to wait at home for a package delivery or have to rush home from work to retrieve a package off their front porch. Or, what if they could avoid paying a fee to receive packages at another address? With 24-hour parcel lockers, their prayers are answered.

Last spring, the U.S. Postal Service unveiled gopost™, a self-service parcel locker system. The Postal Service is pilot-testing the 24-hour secured locker systems in the Washington, DC, area at locations such as shopping centers, grocery stores, pharmacies, and transportation hubs. Many gopost locker systems are accessible 24-hours a day, have a security camera, touch screen operations, and they provide mailing receipts.

Customers can register online to send or receive packages, with no fee to register and use the lockers. Instead of using residential addresses, customers can have shipments sent to the address of a selected and convenient gopost locker system. They then pick up their package at a time that works for them.

Additionally, once registered, the customer can receive communications through either email or by text when their package arrives. More details about gopost operations are at the Postal Service’s website. [poll id="246"]

The growth in packages is expected to rise steadily as Americans do more of their shopping online and via digital devices. In just the past few years, the Postal Service has seen volume growth in package services of about 15 percent. Increasingly, customers want the security and convenience of picking up packages from a location other than their own address.

What other factors should the Postal Service consider as it deploys more parcel locker systems to other locations? Would you like a gopost location near you? How often do you think you would use a gopost locker?

Comments (25)

Tammy

I would like more information about out door package lockers. Can I have installed at our apartment community

Feb 02, 2018

Armando

I am very upset that i sign to gopost to avoid making a 3hr line wait. It's been working good, but now someone broke the screen and we nobody is able to get there package. The actual postal service that insert the package says they cant do nothing about it but make the 3hr line or wait till its fixed and they have no knowledge or estimate of where it will be fixed. This post office has been a problem for years and news12 went and its still a hassle to get a package. How can the residents of this neighborhood be assured that this will change or be fixed

Jun 27, 2017

Anonymous

Gopost sucks for shipping, the machines​ are terrible, the technology the used is so bad, the touch screen isn't sensitive at all so you have to push a few times on the same key to get a response, the laser scanner is even worse, you have to position the label barcode in a specific way it should scan which I don't think anyone figured out what that position is. I rather wait on line in the post office then using those crappy machine, once again USPS proves they must suck at tech, and even worse the people that tested and approved of these machines are the dumbest out there.

Apr 19, 2017

Crystal

I got a call from Fedex stating they do not deliver to Gopost. Is USPS working on this because I am not sure when I am ordering something that Fedex will be delivering the item?

Mar 29, 2017

Holly Rankin

I would love to have a GoPost locker near me. I would use it all the time. It's very difficult to get packages in San Francisco. Theft is common, and there is no safe place to leave packages where I live.

Feb 10, 2017

Jeff Buller

I would use a parcel locker for sure. I would appreciate being able to pick up my package anytime, even if the post office desk was closed. I just spent an entire holiday weekend waiting for the post office to open up so I could get my packages that should of been delivered on Saturday, but were not left for me.
But when I asked at the Post Office in Barnesville GA about the Parcel Lockers in their lobby, I was told that they were for customers with a Post Office Box. Is that true? Do I have to have a P.O. Box to use the Parcel Lockers for picking up my packages?

Jan 03, 2017

tajyetta wade

My package was sent to be delivered to parcel locker on Dec.12 at 4:59 pm and it is Dec 15 and i have not yet received a key or anything because my package isnt here or arrived ? so where is it

Dec 15, 2016

Jorge Rodriguez

Does ups deliver to gopost...i brought an item on amazon and i sent it to my gopost address.....ups was the shipper. now my pakeage is lost, ups sent it to another address....i called ups and they said they don't ship packages to the post office....i like to know the answer

Nov 28, 2016

Debbie

I opened a gopost account and received a kit. I then received a notice that the account was suspended before I even used it. How do I find out if it is active or not?

Oct 05, 2016

Eric

GoPost would actually work if someone at the USPS would actually know what it is. Every time I call the USPS, they have no idea what it is or knows very little about it. After the post office messed up three of my previous orders, I decided to try GoPost. It will be the first and last time. My mailman doesn't have my package. I went to my local post office; they can't find my package. I went to the GoPost: it doesn't have the package. The package has been at the local post office since Sunday afternoon and no one knows where it is.
This is a first class package that should have taken 2 to 3 business days. I have been waiting for 6. Now I'm told that I have to wait until tomorrow. If I had sent it to my apartment instead, I would have received it by last Friday morning.

May 10, 2016

Cynthia Lima

Hello I consult USPS tracking and it says that my package was delivered in a parcel locker but I didnt receive a Key or anuthing at home. My tracking code is 9405509699938091515496. Could you please help me tô discover where my package is ?

Jan 16, 2016

Lisa Bogan

I would definitely use this! I live in Portland OR and package theft is a huge problem in my neighborhood.

Jun 27, 2015

Liz

My package was delivered to a USPS parcel locker but I don't have one, so I went to the post office and they couldn't find it. That was in January and its May and I still haven't received my package. I have lost almost $200 USD. The supervisor in the post office asked me for the key and I told her I had no key, there was no key delivered to my mailbox either. She took my info twice and said they would look for the key but also they didn't know in which locker it was in.. So far the post office of Oakbrook, in 10070 Dorchester Rd, Summerville, SC 29485 has not bothered in contacting me. EG141717014KR is my tracking numbe, please help me!

May 28, 2015

OIG Blog Moderator

Hello Liz,
Thank you for taking the time to notify our offices of this matter.
Please try contacting the Postal Service Consumer Affairs Office at (803) 926-6387 or (803) 926-6389, they should be able to assist you and look further into this matter for you.
As well, if you still would like to file a complaint with our offices, you can do so on our hotline at www.uspsoig.gov/form/new-complaint-form and we can forward your issue to the appropriate department.
Thank you,
US Postal Service Office of Inspector General

May 28, 2015

Cynthia's Cupca...

As a business that ships perishable items, this is not a shipping method we would use to deliver our product, and is not unlike shipping to a P.O. Box. Like many companies, we do not ship to P.O. Boxes. Unfortunately, we had a negative shipping experience with a customer who gave us a parcel locker shipping address. We were not even aware we were shipping to a parcel locker since there was nothing in the address that identified it as such.
We sent the items 2-day, but have no idea and have no way to verify, when the customer actually picked up their perishable items since the tracking information only tracks to delivery to the parcel locker. The customer subsequently contacted us to let us know our product was inedible due to expiration. After shipping our products to residential addresses for 4 years, in the 48 contiguous states, we have never had this or any product problems.
It seems this delivery system is customer-focused to a fault and to the exclusion of the sender, be it an individual or business. For this reason, we will not ship to any parcel lockers in the future and will be informing our customer that we are canceling the balance of their subscription order. Even though many small businesses dealing in perishable items clearly state on their websites that they are not responsible for any type of damage once the package is in the hands of USPS, UPS, Fedex, etc., and to address complaints to the shipper, the reality is the customer expects the business/sender to address it.
A small business cannot afford to have these types of experiences. Additionally, since this program is still in the pilot phase and not widely available, there is no awareness in areas where it's not available. This doesn't make sense since it's entirely conceivable that a sender could be outside of the program, shipping to a pilot area. Shouldn't both parties know about it?
Please consider the following:
1.) Using an identifier for the parcel locker address, so a business can make an educated decision whether it wants to ship or not.
2.) Establishing some way for the business/sender to verify when the customer/recipient has actually picked up the parcel.
3.) Letting the cat out of the bag! Communicate that this program is out there and in the pilot phase, even to areas in the country where the service is not yet available.
Thank you for the opportunity to share our experience and recommendations.

Apr 16, 2015

Anonymous

GoPost anyone?
Dear USPS, if you start a new service for customers, say GoPost, how about you train our customer service agents on what it is. You even have a dedicated customer service just for GoPost but everyone there is clueless. If they're not answering the phone laughing or sleepy, they're nonetheless happy to quickly transfer you to an entirely different department who is also....clueless. Actually went into the post office and it's like I'm speaking a different language. It sucks, it sucks, it sucks. I thought sprint had the worse customer service of all time, but I stand corrected. USPS customer service sucks. It's like....they don't care and there's no accountability. This rant will undoubtedly be lost in the mix but if you hear someone letting out long sighs because she's tired of being transferred, being put on hold and being treated like I'm bothering people, that would be me. Do better USPS, do better.

Dec 26, 2014

Gail Johnson

I DON"T love this idea. I have spent an hour trying to find out where my tracked package is. Went thru UPS and then thru USPS. I do not like that concept either.
Finally determined my package was DELIVERED to a parcel locker. I have no idea what a parcel locker was. Is my item in a safe location at the Post Office for delivery today? Is it in someone else's "Parcel Locker".
A matter of my full mailbox? No! No one came to my door either.
Not happy with the Parcel locker concept with no information on the tracking page other than "DELIVERED" and no other info about what is next.

Dec 11, 2014

OIG Blog Moderator

Hello Gail,
Thank you for taking the time to notify our offices of this issue. The USPS Office of Inspector General investigates waste, theft, fraud and abuse within the Postal Service (USPS).
We have forwarded your message to the customer service office of the USPS in an effort to assist you in this matter.
Thank you.
U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General

Dec 11, 2014

Justin Quinene

I'm also having the same problem as Gail. Can you please help me?

Jul 29, 2015

Gail Johnson

I would hope you could help with this but I'm realistic. I spoke with Kathy this morning at the main station for 99224. She said the carrier delivered both packages to my box at the same time. She said the carrier told her the 9:52 time stamp was an error and that she did deliver both at 1:13 to me. I picked up my mail shortly after that time. Because I had been tracking these pieces I was watching closely. Having not received both I went back out to look again whether it had been dropped. No.
I have to say it is pretty strange that the missing pieces also was a scanning mistake. I also think it strange that if a person got into my mailbox why they would only take one package?

Dec 12, 2014

Tom

GoPost = Great innovation! It's a virtual Post Office Box (for parcels) anywhere, anytime, only when you need it. It's an innovative use of back office IT, internet, and adaptive physical delivery. Greater expansion will be needed for true success, but there is much room for more innovation with the concept. Like more locations with fewer but maybe larger lockers, to accommodate occassional large packages.
I needed and used a similar locker at the AMTRAK station for a day in Chicago, so these small secure authenticated user spaces have product potential for other than delivering and accepting parcels to postal service. Think about having a small section of these in many 24/7 open locations, some with larger lockers, some 24x24x12 inches. What if I could send bulky things ahead to a few outside a Marriott Courtyard... For the traveler planning ahead, GoPost has huge potential given the cost of baggage fees on airlines. GoPost locations should be given with USNG geoaddress also because they are such small, discrete locations, finding them can be difficult. GoPost has huge potential in the internet age.

Nov 28, 2013

Jason G.

We who live in dense urban areas need this badly! If you don't, someone else (like Amazon) will. We also need the ability to choose to which locker it goes, because my Post Office is more inconvenient than anywhere you'd conceivably put a locker in Center City Philadelphia.

Jul 24, 2013

Mike Sanders

I feel that this will be a great service to most Americans. Keep up the good work.

Mar 13, 2013

Brian B

They have one of these at my local Post Office and I think it's a great idea for some people.

Mar 13, 2013

ChristyinTX

I love this idea. Especially being able to get my packages while I am out running other errands, like at the grocery store. I do shop online quite a bit all year long but I am the most nervous about my orders being on my front porch around the holidays.
Please bring this to Texas!

If the post office wants to have a dress code for their employees that is fine, how ever I have noticed for several years now, the mail carriers will make smart mouth comments to customers about the...

Latest Blog Posts

Postal employees injured on the job can return to work even if they can’t perform their regular jobs — so long as the work is within their medically defined restrictions. That’s the idea behind the U.S. Postal Service’s Limited Duty...

Latest Audit Asks

The U.S. Postal Service uses highway contract routes (HCR) to transport mail between post offices and other designated points where mail is received or dispatched. An extra trip is one made in addition to those outlined in the contract; it results in added costs. Extra trips can be the result of...

The U.S. Postal Service considers mail to be delayed when it is not processed in time to meet the established delivery day. Postal Service personnel count mail daily, self-report delayed mail, and enter the information into the Mail Condition Reporting System. Delayed mail reporting is important...

More than 42,000 Americans died from opioid-related overdoses in 2016 – five times higher than in 1999, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Illegal opioids, including increasingly potent synthetic versions such as fentanyl, account for about half of those deaths.

Comments Wanted

We encourage you to visit our blog, which has a new topic for discussion every Monday. You can also give us your thoughts and opinions about upcoming audits on our Audit Asks page. Please refer to our comment policy for further information.